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In the case of tuberculosis further changes in connection with notification took
place in 1913, all previous regulations, of which between 1908 and 1911 there had
been three issued, being superseded by a set which appeared in December, 1912.
These, in addition to consolidating the previous regulations, extended the requirements
with regard to notification to include all forms of tuberculosis, and not only
the pulmonary form to which the regulations quoted above referred.
The new regulations came into force on 1st February, 1913. The effects
produced by them are considered further in the section dealing with tuberculosis.
The records kept with regard to the non-notifiable diseases referred to above are
based on information obtained by the Women Inspectors who investigated all cases
coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health. Attention is directed to
the existence of these diseases usually by school teachers, who make special returns
with regard to them, or in returns made by the local Registrars.
A special table relating to the infectious diseases-Table II of the Local
Government Board Series-will be found at page 98.
Information additional to that given there is set out below.
Notifications. The total number of notifications received during 1913 was
1,956. Especially in the case of tuberculosis many of the notifications were
duplicates, and the actual number of cases notified was 1,334. The number notified
in 1912 was 1,219, so that there is an increase of 115 over the previous year. This
is accounted for by the extension in the case of tuberculosis and a slight increase in
the number of cases of scarlet fever.
The notification rate (proportion to population of notified cases of infectious
diseases) in 1913 was 11.6 per 1,000 as against 10.4 in 1912.
Isolation of Cases. The following table shows, with regard to each disease,
the percentages of the totals and the actual number of cases removed to hospital
during the year:
Diphtheria 127 or 96.2 per cent. of the cases notified.
Erysipelas 14 „ 18.6 ,, „ „
Scarlet Fever 398 „ 96.8 „ „
Enteric Fever 15 „ 78.9 „ „ „
Cerebro-spinal Meningitis 2 „ 66.6 „ „ „
Ophthalmia Neonatorum - „ - „ ,, „
Puerperal Fever 2 „ 50.0 „ „ „
Polio Myelitis - „ - ,, „ „
Phthisis 166 „ 24.4 „ „ „
The cost of carrying out the requirements of the Public Health (London) Act
1891, and the various regulations with regard to notification was £ 124 3s. 9d. equal
to £1 1s. 8d. per 1,000 of the population.